Clamps of various types have been available for a very long time and are used in any application where it is necessary to hold two or more objects together, either temporarily or permanently. A common problem associated with the use of manual clamps is that two hands are normally required in order to tighten the clamp. This is extremely inconvenient or even impossible in certain situations where one hand is also required to hold one or more of the objects to be clamped.
Thus, the assistance of another person is sometimes required in order to properly position and hold the objects while the clamp is operated. Alternatively, it may sometimes be necessary to use a fixture or vise or other temporary holding device to retain the objects in position so that the desired clamp can be used. This is cumbersome, however, and also time consuming.
There has not heretofore been provided a clamp which is operable by one hand and which is convenient and efficient to use in clamping two or more objects together. Various types of tools have been previously described which involve a moving jaw, but none of such tools are adequate for clamping objects together as required herein. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 829,612; 996,462; 1,196,703; 1,400,297; 1,542,307; 2,124,039; 2,589,075; and 3,261,242. See also British Patent 10,410.